Mathilde Cordellier

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Mathilde Cordellier held a Junior Professorship in Population Genetics at the University of Hamburg (2014–present, now emeritus). She specializes in evolutionary genomics, phylogeography, and the ecological impacts of climate change on freshwater organisms. Her work focuses on Daphnia species, freshwater gastropods, and insects, leveraging genomic tools to study adaptation, hybridization, and population dynamics.

• Education:
  • PhD in Biology (Dr. phil. nat.), Goethe University Frankfurt (2005–2009)
  • Bachelor/Master studies in Biology at Universities of Nantes, Montpellier, and Lille (1999–2004)
• Key Research Themes:
  • Genomic responses to environmental stressors (e.g., predation, eutrophication)
  • Phylogeographic patterns in freshwater species
  • Climate-driven range shifts and adaptation

Her research integrates transcriptomics, phylogenetics, and ecological modeling, with a focus on the Daphnia genus as a model organism. Notable contributions include studies on hybridization dynamics in Daphnia species complexes and the genetic basis of predator-induced traits.

Awards & Grants: Recipient of the VolkswagenStiftung Postdoc Fellowship (2012–2016), LMU Mentoring Grant (2013–2014), and Wolfgang Strutz-Promotionspreis (2010). She has led projects on Daphnia genomics and ecological adaptation funded by LOEWE and other institutions.

Professional Engagement: Presented at major conferences (e.g., German Zoological Society, Evolutionary Biology Workshops) and served as an invited speaker at universities across Europe, including LMU Munich, Charles University (Prague), and the MPI for Evolutionary Biology (Plön).